How to Identify a Tudor Revival House
It’s hard to know what the House of Tudor thought their impact on history would be. They gave the west two of its most memorable monarchs (Henry VIII and Elizabeth I of England). They had a huge impact on culture, religion, art, and music in England and across Europe. and nearly 400 years later, they inspired one of my favorite American domestic architectural styles.
In the 1920s and 1930s, homes designed in imitations of Tudor styles (“Tudor Revival”) sprung up like weeds (especially in the American west and midwest). There are many variations of Tudor Revival homes, some in stately brick, some in stucco and timber, and some with wooden siding. But all have a few key features that put them all in the same charming category.
I’ll shorten “Tudor Revival” to “Tudor” throughout this piece. I will use the term mostly to refer to the American domestic architectural style, and when I’m talking about the English style, you will know!
Common Tudor Revival Home Exterior Features
Despite the wide variation in possible home styles, you can easily identify Tudor homes instantly (once you know what to look for). Some of these features are only present in the largest Tudor homes, but all Tudor Revival homes have at least 2 of these features.
Steep Gabled Roofs
Most styles have a unifying feature present in all of them, and in regards to the Tudor home, a steep, gabled roof is the one must. Gables refer to the pointy part that sticks slightly out from the roof (usually over the door). Sometimes (as with the brick example here) the gable is “clipped” - as in, the top corner looks shaved down at an angle.
The important part of Tudor Revival gables is that they are at a smaller angle that other homes, making for a thin, stately gable. The gable is part of what gives Tudor homes their fairy-tale quality. Tudor gables are often layered, too - with a larger angle set a foot behind a steep gable over a door.
Round or Lancet Front Doors
This is another very common feature of Tudor homes. Even Tudor homes with classic front doors often have a round transom window over the door, resulting in a hobbit-like entry. Round front doors were not frequently present in original Tudor homes, so I think this detail is meant to make the homes feel cozy and inviting (even when they’re enormous).
There’s almost always contrast brick or stone around the door, too. Stone trim is a big feature in brick and stucco Tudor homes! Sometimes (as in the above example), Tudor homes even have round-topped windows.
Lancet doors and windows are also hallmarks of this style! A lancet door or window has a similar shape to a round door or window, but with a small peak at the top. Lancet doors and windows are often present in neo-gothic styles (particularly churches built in the Edwardian era).
Half Timbering
Photo of an original Tudor cottage by Gary J Stearman on Unsplash
When you picture an English Tudor structure, chances are you’re picturing something similar to this cottage: leaded glass windows with small panes, white plaster, and dark vertical wooden beams. This combination of plaster and wood is the most prominent feature of original Tudor structures (the cottage pictured here is an English Tudor from the 1500s).
In the original structures, the whole building is timbered. Thanks to advances in building techniques (and the Great Fire of London), timbering as a primary building style fell out of fashion by the end of the 1600s. Most Tudor Revival homes have half-timbering, typically on a bump out of an upper story. This feature is almost exclusively present in larger homes, and while it’s not a must have, it is an immediate indicator of a Tudor Revival home as it’s almost never present in other styles.
Small Grille Windows
Windows with many small panes (or small grille windows) are common in houses from the 1920s and 1930s generally, and Tudor revival homes are no exception. Sometimes you’ll see diamond examples, sometimes grid examples, and often they have leaded glass identifiable by its thick, wavy texture. If your Tudor house has these windows - count yourself lucky! They add a lot of charm and whimsy to these structure.
Other Tudor Revival Exterior Features
This is not an exhaustive list of every possible Tudor Revival feature! Some of them can be found in other homes from the period, too. Here are some other common features:
Upper level gabled bump outs
Round entryways
Contrast stone trim
Double smokestack chimneys
Long sloping gables
Concave bronze or copper roofs over bay windows
Common Tudor Home Interior Features
Stucco Fireplaces
Spanish style homes of this period often have significant overlap with Tudor Revival homes, and stucco fireplaces is the biggest point of overlap. In contrast to the narrow hearths and elaborate mantles of earlier homes, Tudor Revival homes often have slightly larger fireplaces that are stucco with stone trim around the opening of the fireplace. They often did not originally have mantles, and sometimes taper into a narrower flue at the top. This home has a few examples of stucco fireplaces with stone trim (with modern styling).
Dark Wood Trim
In another imitation of the original, wood trim in Tudor revival houses tends to be darker and more simplistic than wood trim in other home styles from this period such as Arts and Crafts or Colonial Revival. While not present in all rooms, you’ll typically find these features in front-facing rooms such as the entry, living room, and formal dining room. Windows and doors typically have very simple, dark trim.
Larger Kitchens
As much as I love Victorian houses, they typically have small closets and small kitchens (if you buy one that doesn’t have those things, it’s almost certainly been renovated). Values changed in the first few decades of the 20th century with emphasis on the home. While not giant by today’s standards, the footprint of many a Tudor Revival home has remained intact, and a modern cook will easily feel at home in the kitchen footprint.
Larger Format Black-Trimmed Tile
For a solid 3 decades (roughly 1920-1950) a very distinct tile pattern reigned supreme. For homes with original bathroom styling, the tile will be halfway up the wall and capped with black trim (as shown in the image). In earlier examples, the tile was black and white, while in the 30s and 40s people began branching out to other colors. This tile is not exclusive to the period, but it started cropping up in earnest during this time and is therefore an interior hallmark.
Irregular floor plans
Thanks to the irregular outer design of Tudor Revival houses, the interiors are often quite irregular! There are identical floor plans, of course, as these homes were built for all income levels (Sears kit houses included!). But unlike colonial homes and shotgun homes, Tudor homes are pretty much all unique in their layout. The only common features are a staircase right in front of the door in 2 story examples, and the living room is typically right to the left of the entry.
Charming, whimsical, old-fashioned, Tudor Revival homes are one of the warmest American domestic architectural styles. If you call one of these gems your home, consider yourself extremely lucky!
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